Helaman Ch8

The judges seek to stop pit the people against Nephi in order to keep their power, but Nephi uses the prophets of old to testify of Christ as our Savior. Then Nephi proves his power by announcing the murder of the chief judge!
In the multitude that was listening to Nephi's preachings from the previous chapter were some of the judges that were corrupt, so naturally they were kind of upset that Nephi was calling them out and tried to convince the people to get angry at him for disobeying the laws (v1-4). They didn't want to get their hands dirty though and only spake words to stir some of the people up to be angry, while others defended Nephi because they realized he is a prophet and they need to repent (v5-9). All the angry crowd members were too worried about their popularity with those who supported Nephi to do anything, so Nephi starts to speak again to those who had defended him (v10).
He starts his preaching with examples from prophets and ancestors of the Nephites that yielded the power of God to show that His hand is in all things (v11-12). He calls the people out for ignoring the words of the prophets of the present and of old by forgetting the power that they has such as Moses with the brazen serpent that healed those who looking in faith (v13-15). Moses and Nephi aren't the only ones who testify of Christ, there was also Abraham, Zenos, Zenock, Exias, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, not all that we know, but ones that the Nephites knew because they were in the records they had been reading when they were in church (v16-20).
Nephi is calling these prophets names out to help the people remember their words and know that the words he speaks now have been spoken by all the prophets that are respected (v21-22). The main message behind all of these prophets' words is of Christ and His coming that everyone must prepare for by repenting, humbling themselves, and forsaking the sins they have been committing (v23-24). Because this people have been worried more about earthly treasures instead of heavenly treasures and have sinned to get rich, they are ripened for everlasting destruction which might come any day now (v25-26). I love the line I imagine Nephi saying as he closes his preaching, "I know that the time for your destruction is coming soon, how do I know? Because God told me. He also told me that your Chief Judge was murdered by his brother who wants the job. Oh, and P.S. they are apart of the Gadianton robbers, who are bad guys" (v27-28).